


The Scars We Bare

by Rivermoon1970, wednesdays__child



Series: It's All in the Comments [1]
Category: Criminal Minds, The Sentinel
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 00:49:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9942803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivermoon1970/pseuds/Rivermoon1970, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wednesdays__child/pseuds/wednesdays__child
Summary: Sentinel Aaron Hotchner lies to his Guide Spencer Reid. He thinks he's keeping him safe but what happens when Spencer suddenly disappears?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: You live in a world where each lie creates a scar on the liar's body. The bigger the lie, the deeper and larger the mark.
> 
> This is a comment fic the two us played with last night. This is the compilation to share. Enjoy.
> 
> Unbetaed.

*************

"Aaron, why are you doing this?" Spencer asked, pain filling his voice.

"This is the way it has to be, Spencer." the older man answered, stoic facade firmly in place. "I'm sorry."

"Just answer me one question. I think I deserve that much."

Aaron nodded, waiting.

"Do you love me?"

"No," Aaron answered softly. As soon as the word was out of his mouth, a small line opened on his jaw, from his ear halfway to his chin.

Spencer reached up, tracing the open wound gently with his thumb. "Liar," he whispered.

"It won't work, Spencer."

Another lie, another thin line crossing through the first.

"I can't do this."

A third line ran through the first two, intersecting them where they met. Spencer stared at the small star of scars now gracing his lover's face. He pressed on it, tears filling his eyes as Aaron flinched in pain.

"What is this about, Aaron? Are you scared or do you just like the pain?"

He watched as Aaron pressed his lips together to keep from blurting another lie. Leaning forward, he gently kissed the small star forever imbedded in Aaron's skin. 

"Let me know when you're done lying to yourself." He turned and walked away, knowing that every time he saw those three lines he'd wonder if Aaron would ever tell the truth, even if it was just to himself. 

_____________________________

Aaron watched as his Guide walked away from him. He watched the man that was his heart, his smile, his very being getting farther away. He knew he was lying to the both of them, the Sentinel inside him was screaming at him to just tell the truth.

Aaron couldn't, not yet at least. Not until the monster after Reid was caught. The one Spencer didn't even know about.

Aaron would bear the scars, would take whatever the lies he told gave him as long as his Guide, his love, the very soul of him was safe.

______________________________

Spencer walked away, fighting to put a lid on his emotions, trying not to the let the fight inside him spill out and hurt anyone around him. But his control was slipping to the point that it was becoming physically painful.

He knew what Aaron was doing, trying to protect him despite the fact that Spencer didn't need to be protected. No matter how hard Aaron tried to close down the bond, Spencer could feel the worry, the pain, his need to protect him.

Not watching where he was going, Spencer ran into someone who caught him by the arms, holding him up before he fell onto the hard pavement.

"Sorry," he mumbled quietly, trying to extricate himself from the tight grip on his arms.

"Are you alright, Dr. Reid?"

"No," Spencer admitted, not wanting to lie, not needing any more scars than he already had. "I'm not alright, I'm actually...wait. How do you know my name?"

The grip tightened harshly, digging into his skin, making him gasp in pain.

"I know all about you, Spencer," the man growled, his voice harsh and hollow. The hands on his arms shot up, one covering Spencer's nose and mouth, the other gripping his long locks, holding him tight enough that there was no way he could escape. As his vision began to darken around the edges, he reached out to the bond, praying that he had enough strength left to push past the barrier he knew Aaron had erected.

"Aaron!" he screamed in his mind, sending his Sentinel a vision of his attacker right before everything went black.

________________________________

Sitting at his desk Aaron was holding his head in his hands. His head was pounding and he just knew something was wrong. The flicker in the bond had him trying to let his senses guide him, but with Spencer, it was too much too fast.

"Aaron?" Dave asked as he carefully approached.

"Stupid," Aaron growled. Sheba, his tiger was pacing the office worse than a caged animal. She was agitated.

"Aaron, what did you do?"

He looked up and Rossi sucked in a breath.

"I let him go."

"Dammit, Aaron Hotchner. Your hero complex. You need to get it..." Dave didn't get the rest of the words out when Aaron shot out of his chair and flew down the stairs.

"SPENCER!" he yelled as he started to sink into a feral state. A scar formed on his hand as he told himself the worst had happened. 

________________________________

Awareness slowly pulled at Spencer, dragging him up from the blackness of unconsciousness. His head was pounding, his stomach was rolling. Carefully, he tried to open his eyes, only to slam them shut again as the bright lights seared his retinas.

"Fuck," he whispered quietly as a new wave of pain rolled over him. He swallowed back the need to vomit, not wanting to add to this horror.

"Such language, Dr. Reid," his assailant chuckled behind him, laughing, taunting him.

The coolness of the night air hit him and realization dawned over him. Spencer knew where he was, what was happening. The familiarity of it made him nearly hurl again. He was naked, strapped to a goalpost in the middle of the night.

He sighed as he tried to reach out, searching for something, anything. A gasp escaped as he realized he was alone, completely and utterly alone. He couldn't find Naruto, couldn't feel the little fox anywhere. Letting go, Spencer searched for Aaron, for any sign of his Sentinel but he found none. 

For the first time since he had come online, Spencer was completely alone.

"What did you do?" he croaked, his throat rough and raw, as if he'd been screaming for hours on end. Maybe he had.

"How does it feel, Doctor?" his captor whispered in his ear, so close that the breath felt moist against his skin, setting his stomach off again at the rank smell. "How does it feel to be all alone in this world? Just like you did to me."

"I don't know," Spencer whispered, "I don't know what you're talking about. Please let me go and I'll help you."

"I don't think so."

Spencer sighed as the man walked around into his line of sight. He had a flash or remembrance, recognized him from somewhere but his head hurt too much to put it all together.

"Your Sentinel can't find you now," the man spat.

Spencer leaned his head back and pressed out with his entire being, sending out his every hope that Aaron would find him.

Hope suddenly burst through his chest. Despite not being able to feel him, Spencer knew undoubtedly, just **knew** that Aaron was coming for him.

He started to laugh.

"What?!" the man demanded.

"He's coming for you."

"You can't know that."

"He will find me."

"Shut up!"

"And when he finds me, he's going to kill you."

"I said SHUT UP!"

"And I'm not going to stop him."

"Liar!"

Spencer opened his eyes then, squinting as he stared down the livid man before him.

"Look at me," he whispered, low and deadly. "Do you see any new scars? Do you?"

Aaron would find him. He had to. He just had to. 

___________________________

Aaron was going on pure instinct as he ran to Derek's office. The powerful sensitive acted as an anchor off and on for the other Sentinels and Guides in the unit.

"Spencer, need to find him." Aaron was past the point of being able to be polite.

Derek looked up from his paperwork and saw the scars on Aaron's face. He wondered at what happened, but he would get the story later. Now, he had a Sentinel in a half-feral state to calm down.

Standing, he grabbed keys to a Bureau SUV and gripped Aaron's elbow.

"Do you need to call for a hunt?" Derek asked as he practically dragged Aaron with him. The rest of the team was ordered on stand down.

"NO! Mine..." Aaron growled through gritted teeth, a new scar forming, telling Derek his Unit Chief needed help.

"Dammit Hotch, you need help. Get in the car." Derek pushed him in the front seat after he opened the door.

He called the S&G Center and spoke with Tony Gibbs, the newest Director. He called for a hunt, over the grunts and growls of Aaron.

"Can you feel him, Aaron?"

Aaron closed his eyes and felt the tiniest thread of the bond. He knew Spencer was drugged, but then it burst in his mind so hot and fast he doubled over in pain. When he got it under control he grinned a very dark, feral grin.

"I know where he is."

_____________________________

Spencer shivered, his skin cold in the night air. He felt tears prick behind his eyes as the memories assaulted him. Suddenly he felt like he was that scared, small teenage boy again, tricked and teased. He wondered if he would ever really get past that feeling.

His cheek stung as he was slapped harshly across his face.

"Don't ignore me," the man growled.

"I'm not," he answered, his mind and mouth feeling sluggish and weak. "What did you give me?"

"It doesn't matter," the man said, a small cut opening on his left hand.

Spencer knew he had to work this out, had to give his Sentinel time to find him. He needed to use the deadliest weapon in his arsenal.

"Who are you?" he asked, searching his vast memory for any hint of who this was. "What did I do to you?"

"You took what was supposed to be mine!" the man shouted in his face.

Spencer's face scrunched up as he tried to get as far away from the noxious breath as possible. He took a shot in the dark.

"Aaron?"

"He was mine," the man growled, reaching up, pressing his hands against Spencer's delicate throat. "Mine."

Spencer shook his head, trying to pull away as much as possible.

"He was never yours," Spencer gasped. "He would NEVER be yours. We don't choose. His is mine because I am his. You'll never..."

Once again, Spencer felt the world around him begin to blur. He gasped one last time, fighting with all he had to hold on until Aaron could find him. 

______________________________

Aaron pointed out where Derek should turn. They had the sirens going and Aaron was practically yelling in the CB that was connected to Tony's. The Alpha Prime had units out on the streets within seconds of Derek's call. The S&G's Critical Response Unit was fast. They had a description of Spencer and were all told that Aaron was now in a feral episode.

"HERE!" Aaron yelled as they passed the High School. He was near panicking because he couldn't feel Spencer at all. He was still going on the feeling he had deep inside, as well as the mental images he had been able to glean.

"Are you sure, Aaron?" Derek asked, but turned because the sound Aaron made had even him wanting to comply with no arguments.

Aaron pulled off his tie and as soon as Derek pulled into the parking lot, he didn't even wait for the car to stop as he practically ripped the seat belt off of him and flung himself out of the car. Flinging tie and jacket aside, Aaron ran flat out towards where he had felt that last flicker of Spencer's inner light.

When he saw the man with his hands around Spencer's throat, Aaron went crazy. Derek wasn't even able to keep up with him he was running so fast. When he got close, a primal scream ripped from his throat as he tackled the man to the ground.

Sheba was circling Spencer, keeping a protective stance.

"He's MINE!" Aaron yelled as the two men fought, ripping and tearing at each other.

______________________________

Spencer gasped as he was suddenly released. He took huge gasping breaths, trying to get the hammering of his heartbeat under control.

He heard sounds - shouts, growls, curses. He couldn't discriminate one sound from the other, didn't know who was making what noise. As his vision began to clear, he saw his worst nightmare before him - Aaron in full feral mode and his attacker rolling, fighting, biting, each of them bloodied and bruised.

"Aaron," he groaned, trying to break through, to get **his** Aaron back. "Aaron, I'm alright."

The skin on his right arm split open, a bright line on his pale skin.

"Aaron, I'm alright. Please stop. Please. I'm alright. I promise."

Line after line, carved into his skin, opening his flesh with his lies.

"Aaron!"

His Sentinel lifted his head to stare into Spencer's hazy, unfocused eyes. The monster flipped him over, pinning the Agent beneath him. As Spencer watched, the man raised his hand, the fingernails elongated, sharp talons. He growled and as he moved to strike, Spencer screamed, "NO!"

He felt it then, a wave of power like he'd never felt before. It shot from his body, like a shockwave, just as the man struck, his claws aiming to tear out Aaron's throat.

They fell over then - every last one of them - and Spencer sagged forward, weeping in pain.

______________________________

Awareness was slowly coming back to Aaron and every part of him hurt, except where he was wrapped around his Guide. Burying his nose against Spencer's neck, he inhaled deeply. He knew he wasn't quite all the way back when he growled at the other presence in the room.

"It's okay, Sentinel. I'm not going to take him from you. I'm just here to tell you that Simon McAllister died earlier this morning. We'll talk more when you are more yourself," Tony said as Aaron just nodded. He watched Tony until he left the room, leaving Aaron with his Guide.

"Spence," he whined, the man was still deep asleep, but the bond wasn't suppressed anymore, even on his side. "I'm sorry." Closing his eyes and holding on tighter to his love, Aaron fell back to sleep. He just hoped that Spencer could forgive him.

______________________________

Spencer sighed as he began to wake. It was a familiar feeling, waking like this, legs tangled together, a warm nose pressed into his neck. Aaron loved to breathe Spencer in as he slept. He'd once given Aaron a thirty minute lecture on how scent was the one sense most acutely tied to memories. Aaron had spent the rest of the night sniffing him just to tease him.

He didn't realize how much he'd missed that until now. A wave of sadness passed over him at the thought and, in response, Aaron clutched him tighter, purring lightly in his sleep. Spencer loved it when his Sentinel purred, although Aaron would deny he did it every single time.

The drugs in his system were wearing off and he could feel Aaron again, settled back into the hole in his soul. He reached up with long, gentle fingers and traced the star of scars on Aaron's jaw. Had it really only been a day, maybe two?

But for him, being separated like that felt like a lifetime.

Aaron shifted and stirred, as if summoned awake by Spencer's melancholy. He found himself staring into deep, brown eyes holding his own.

"Spenc..." Aaron started, but was silenced by a soft, nearly chaste kiss. Spencer pressed down on the marks beneath his fingertips, lightly at first and then harder, trying to make a point. 

"Don't ever do this to me again, Aaron Hotchner," he whispered, both a command and a plea. "Never again. I couldn't handle it if you did."

____________________________

"I should have told you about Simon. I was just trying to protect you." Spencer looked for the lie, but it wasn't there.

"We are better together, you know we are."

Aaron traced the new scars on Spencer's arm and the guilt over them made him frown.

"Don't. Just promise me you will never do this again. Don't try to protect me."

"I promise, Spence."

"Now, let me help you because the longer you stay like this, the longer they'll keep us here."

"Hmm, and what do you have in mind?" Aaron's smile was still a touch feral, but this time it was desire.

"Oh, I can think of several things, now kiss me, Sentinel." Aaron obliged as he pressed his body on top of Spencer's. Kissing him with the intensity of feeling only those that are soulmates have ever experienced.

"Guide," Aaron whispered against Spencer's mouth before pressing his lips against his love. They had things to work through, explanations, a hunt to cancel, but all of that could be taken care of later. For now, Sentinel and Guide reconnected with promises of no more lies to each other. The only ones allowed were ones to ease the victims they helped. And both men were more than okay with that.

~The End~


End file.
